


I'll Lead You From the City of Distress

by FiveFootAngel



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Supernatural
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Rescue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-31
Updated: 2012-12-31
Packaged: 2017-11-23 03:18:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/617490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FiveFootAngel/pseuds/FiveFootAngel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The story of Sansa's escape from Kingslanding, a daring plan composed and orchestrated by Jo Harvelle.</p>
<p>Shameless self-indulgence, but I think it turned out pretty okay.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'll Lead You From the City of Distress

“Tell me of your lord, Joey.” Sansa begged as the two lay together on Sansa’s bed, facing each other, with heads resting on arms.

“I have none.” Jo protested “Only a lady.” she smiled at her, then and Sansa shoved at her lightly with her arm.

“Don’t be so cruel to me! You know who I mean. Lord Winchester.”

Jo raised her blond head up on her hand and curled around Sansa a little more

“How shall I describe Lord Dean?” she murmured “Like all the storm lords I have met, he is stubborn and thickheaded, and has no regard for his own safety.”She shook her head “He is rude and crude most of the time, though I daresay he knows how to be kind and polite when it suits him.”

Sansa watched her maid’s eyes closely, seeing the way that the deep brown eyes stared off into the distance.

“He’s a charmer for sure. He has a fair face, and a smiling confident voice. A new woman every month, and I think that when he does find his love, she won’t be a virgin by the wedding night.” Sansa felt herself blushing, but Jo didn’t seem to even notice “But he’s also good and true and brave. When he gives you his word, he means it, and he cannot see an innocent suffer.”

“And you love him” Sansa observed quietly Jo laughed “He sees me as a little sister, and fears the wrath of my mother. We will never be lovers, though I was besotted with him as a child.”

“How old is he?” Sansa questioned earnestly “How much younger are you?”

“He is one and twenty.” Jo told her friend “I am fifteen, so he is six years older than I.”

“Twenty one and a lord in his own right.” Sansa gushed. Jo laughed “Have I not told you that he is a scoundrel? Not at all the sort of man that a daughter of Winterfell should pursue. His younger brother on the other hand...”

Sansa regarded her with suspicious blue eyes “I’m listening.”

“He is taller, and favors the storm lords, like Renly Baratheon. You’ve seen him, have you not?”

“Indeed.” Sansa nodded

“He is more honorable.” Jo paused in her description “He is polite and some would consider him bookish, but he is well achieved in swordplay and jousting as well.”

“Is he also a...charmer?” Sansa asked, hesitant to let anyone hear her insulting a lord.

“Not in the way that Dean is.” Jo laughed “Though women do seem to fall in love with him left and right. He is seventeen and was once betrothed, but she died of a fever before the wedding. Sam Winchester is a man who any noblewoman should be glad to marry.”

Sansa was quiet after that, then she said hesitantly “You’re the same age as my older brothers. Robb and Jon.”

“Yes milady. And so are thousands of other maids in Westeros.”

Sansa blushed red “I know...I was just thinking. I’d much rather have you for a good-sister than some girl who I don’t know at all.”

“I couldn’t marry a king, now could I?” she laughed. But she understood what Sansa was doing. She was testing her. Mentioning her “traitorous” brothers to see if Jo would betray her trust by telling the queen.

“Well Jon’s not a king.” Sansa suggested slyly “And I know that he will soon be a knight. He is not especially tall, but he is strong and slender, with dark coloring and grey eyes.”

Jo laughed out loud “Well then maybe I will go wooing.”

Sansa laughed herself, smiling among the red hair that spilled out and framed her face.

* * *

“Milady!” there was a hissed whisper in her ear and Sansa awoke to her shoulder being shaken roughly. She thought of the shaking and slapping that she had endured at the hand of Joffery and his Kingsguard, and had awoken with a start, trying to pull away from the hands that were grabbing at her, but the hands that grasped her wrist and shoulder were deceptively strong.

“Milady!” the voice hissed quietly again and this time she recognized that it was not a man.

“Jo?” she asked, hesitantly, turning her face back around to see her maid, dressed in pants and a man’s shirt, her glorious blond hair hidden under a hat.

“Yes milady. Come, dress quickly, we must leave the city before Stannis can leave the Stormlands.”

“What?” Sansa asked in shock “Why must we leave the city?”

“Because without leaving the city it is impossible to get to Highgarden, much less Riverrun.”

“Highgarden?”

“Sansa!” Jo turned and grabbed her shoulders again, this time more gently “Sansa, you have tested me multiple times, and I have proved myself loyal to you each time. Please, just this one time, trust me fully.”

Sansa closed her eyes and nodded “Alright.”

Jo stood on her tiptoes and kissed Sansa’s nose lightly “I’ve left clothes at the foot of your bed and have packed dresses for later. Dress and I will fetch your boots.”

The clothes at the foot of the bed were boys clothes like Jo’s, but Sansa dressed in them anyways, fumbling a bit with all the buttons holding the pants closed. As she finished, Jo came up behind her and tied her red hair behind her back with a ribbon, and pulled a hooded cloak over her.

“Boots now. We will be riding”

Sansa nodded as she sat down on the bed and started loosening the laces in one shoe. Jo took the other shoe and unlaced it herself, slipping one of Sansa’s feet into it as Sansa put on the other boot herself.

“How are we getting outside the city unnoticed?”

“A distraction” Jo murmured quietly “Come on now, Sam.”

Jo glanced out the room’s window and tossed down the bag that she held “There’s a rope. And Adam will catch you if you fall.”

Sansa glanced down out the window. Sure enough, a rope was lowered the twenty feet from her window the ground below.

She looked at Jo again “Jo, we will be caught for sure.”

“We surely will if you don’t hurry. There’s only another twenty minutes before a more attentive guard takes over the watch.”

Sansa stared at the rope mistrustfully “How does one climb down a rope?”

“Wrap it around your wrists to start.” Jo told her “T’will hurt without gloves I’m afraid. After that, you have to use your feet as well to lower yourself down the rope with less weight on your hands.”

Sansa did so, slipping slightly as she lowered her feet out the window, but the rope caught in her hands and dug into the skin. She gasped and almost let go, but was able to catch the rope between her feet. The wind blew at her, and if she was less panicked and in pain, she probably would have felt numb. The ground seemed very far below and made her dizzy, but she just kept lowering herself down the rope, hand over hand. The boy who helped her down off the rope at the bottom had honey blond hair, cut short and spiky, and grey eyes deep with urgency. He is younger than her for sure, closer to Arya’s age than hers.

“You’re the singer!” she gasped as she placed his face “You sang before Queen Cersei herself.”

“Aye, I gave the lady a tune or two.” Adam grunted, holding the rope steady again. Jo started to shimmy down it quickly, and reached them within seconds. “Alright Sam, let’s leave this city behind.”

Sansa’s brain was spinning with questions, but she realized that if she stopped to ask them, she would likely lose her nerve and end up back in the castle and have to pay for leaving it. She was just contemplating all the horrible things that would be done to her and Jo if they were caught when Jo curled her fingers through the sleeve of Sansa’s shirt and pulled her along the path after her. Sansa watched their shadows as they stole out of the Red Keep and down to the walls of the city. Getting out of the Keep wasn’t nearly as hard as she had thought it would be. Adam and Jo seemed able to time the guards perfectly, and Sansa kept close to them as they dodged through the gold cloaks. She knew though, that the four gold cloaks guarding whichever gate they made for would be the ones that would be harder to get past, since their only responsibilities were to the gate. Adam and Jo seemed to be quite at ease with the empty city, walking down the street easily. Adam produced a green dress from the pack that he carried with him and passed it to Jo. She took it and ducked into an alley, coming back dressed in it. The dress was short, even on her, just barely covering her knees. She passed Adam her hat and he ran ahead, coming back without it, and the trio ducked into the shadows, with the city gate in view.

“All set?” Jo asked softly, tossing her blond locks around, and perking up her breasts. She passed Sansa the pack and she put it on without thinking.

Adam nodded “Cas will see the sign any minute now. We’ll keep walking slow until we hear him.”

Sansa was burning with questions “Who?”

Jo ignored her question, instead taking Sansa by the arms again and inclining her head down to look straight into her own eyes “Sansa, dearheart. Promise me that you will stay with Adam until he can take you to Lord Winchester.”

“Lord Winchester? He is loyal -

“To King Renly, I know. Lady Sansa, you have truly become my one true lady, and if I can ever leave the city, I will come find you.”

“If you can ever leave the city?” Sansa questioned her Jo pursed her lips a little, but merely stood on tiptoes again, this time angling Sansa’s head down further so that she could kiss the top of her head.

“When I see you again, you shall be milady twice.”

She glanced over at the small boy who had walked with them this far and made a face at him. He stuck his tongue out at her and then both smiled.

A large crash sounded off to the left of the gate, and three of the gold cloaks guarding the gate rushed off to investigate.

Jo gave both Adam and Sansa a long slow smile and then walked up the the remaining guard, all light feet and dancing hair, as if she was half spirit and half innocent child, not knowing what would befall her. “She’ll lead him away soon.”

Adam said confidently “He doesn’t fear the ordinary criminals with Stannis so close, and she can read people well.”

Sansa swallowed hard “Did she play me as well?” Adam was silent for a time, giving her all the answer she needed, but then told her “King Renly would return you home to your brother, and declare your betrothal to Joffery over and done.”

Sansa nodded sharply “Then let us go.” Jo had led the gold cloak off and the as soon as they were almost out of sight, Adam took Sansa by the hand and led her across the yard to the gate.

Beyond the city walls, a grizzled old man waited in the shadows with three horses. “Boy!” he whispered harshly, catching Adam’s attention. Adam saw him and his face broke into a grin, making him look his true age all at once “Bobby!”

“That the princess with you then?”

“Yeah.” Adam nodded.

Bobby helped her up onto her horse and then mounted himself “We’re staying off the Roseroad at first, Princess.”

Sansa nodded dumbly, turning her horse to follow him. Of course, if Robb was a King, then she would be a princess. It didn’t seem like it had really happened. Was she really free of Queen Cersei and her horrid son? It had been so wonderful to feel that she was, but so horrible to know that Jo had been manipulating her. And yet, now she might be able to go to Robb someday, someday soon, and at the same time, she didn’t know these strange men who she was with at all. Was Jo even really loyal to Renly? Or was she being led someplace entirely different?

* * *

The boys clothes were odd to move in at first, but were much more practical for all the riding that they were doing.

Bobby, the man who had joined them as they left the city, had proved to be kind enough, truly treating her as well as could be expected in their current situation, but he was gruff and not a conversationalist. She wouldn’t have truly minded this after being with Joffery, but Jo’s easy presence and their teasing fun was hard not to miss. She set her mind to getting to know Adam as they set off the next day from where they had slept at the creek that started the Mander River.

“Do you have any family Adam?”

“None” Adam shook his head “Bobby found me in a cabbage patch when I was a babe.” he grinned at the bearded man “Isn’t that right Bobby?”

“You’re cabbage headed for sure, if that’s what you’re getting at, boy.” Bobby had grunted “He’s Lord Winchester’s bastard brother, Princess Sansa.”

Sansa felt stunned for a second, then a painful longing for Jon overtook her. She pictured his dark head and his serious grey eyes and the way that he held his head up proudly in spite of the world. She realized that she had so say something and all that came to mind was the truth “I feel honored that Lord Winchester thinks me worthy to send his little brother into harms way. I pray that I can prove him right.”

There was a silence as the two men shifted on their horses and then Bobby snorted “Well she certainly talks like a princess.”

Sansa moved in closer to Bobby and said in a low voice “Ser Bobby, will you answer some questions of mine if I promise that I will still come with you, no matter the answer?”

Bobby inclined his head “Aye.”

“Does King Renly truly recognize my brother as King in the North?”

Bobby grimaced slightly, coming to a stop “The king knows when to leave battles for another day. He will not stop wanting the north for himself, but neither is he so stupid as to try and fight Stannis, Joffery and Robb all at once. There will come the day when he asks your brother to bend the knee, but until then he is satisfied to have an ally.”

Sansa nodded sharply “And doubtless he will marry me to a man loyal to himself, to ensure that there are no rebellions. And betroth Stormdaughters to my little brothers.”

Bobby nodded “That is the plan, Princess.”

Sansa was silent, then flicked the horses reins lightly, continuing in the same direction that they had been traveling before. “How far away is Highgarden anyway?”

* * *

They weren’t actually traveling as far as Highgarden. King Renly and his court were traveling up the Roseroad, recruiting young knights as they went. Jo, bless her heart, had packed a simple but beautiful grey and white dress, and a comb and a bar of soap into her pack. So, when they were just outside the camp, Bobby stopped the party at an inn and had the innkeeper bring her up a bath. Sansa bathed and washed her hair as best she could, and then worked the comb through her red knots. The dress was one that she had never seen before, but it fit her well enough, perhaps a smidge too large around her hips. The dress’ colors were welcome after all the rich, overwhelming shades of Kingslanding. She knew that Jo had picked it for the colors of Winterfell, to make her see that she truly was a princess of the North. Her hair was still damp when she left the room that they had given her, but she felt much more human after disposing of the dirt and grime that had taken up residence on her body. She let her hair fall down around her shoulders, only pulling back the very edges with her hair ribbon, ignoring all the fashion that she had loved when she was enamored of Queen Cersei. They were still riding and women from the north didn’t wear slippers like women from the south, so she had put her boots back on her feet.

A press of people stood in the common area of the inn, watching her as she made her way down the stairs, among them some noble looking men. One stood forward from the rest, beside Bobby and Adam. He was a bit taller than Joffery, and blond and green eyed, but the differences between them were blatantly obvious. He was older than Joffey for start, and much more built, and his hair a darker ash tinted color, his eyes almost more grey than green. As soon as Sansa had unseen Joffery, she wasn’t sure why she had seen him in the first place.

Adam had looked vaguely impressed as she descended, and Bobby had smiled more gently than she had ever seen him, and bent forward at the waist in a bow.

“Princess Sansa of Winterfell and the North.” he greeted her, his voice still gruff “King Renly has sent his bannermen, Lords Dean and Sam of House Winchester to escort you to the royal court where he sits with the lovely Queen Margery.”

He said the words because they had power, because they were part of an important ceremony. Bobby wasn’t one to stand on occasion, but he understood ritual.

Sansa inclined her head towards him “I thank King Renly and the Lords of House Winchester for their kind consideration and service.”

Then the man beside Bobby stepped forward and offered her his hand “Princess Sansa, I am Lord Dean of House Winchester. Please allow me to take you to meet their Graces.”

She curtsied slightly, giving him a smile that would do Catelyn Stark proud “You honor me with your service Lord Dean.”

The horse that Dean helped her up on was a white mare, wearing a side saddle, as unlike the tall black horse that she had ridden here as was possible.

“Tell the singers and dancers that they are not needed.”

“Princess?” Dean questioned her “The joy for your arrival-

“Is better suited for Myrcella, my lord. I am a Princess of Winterfell and of the North. I shall ride into the king’s court with the songs of the North, or else I shall ride in as cold and solemn as ice. My family is fighting a war with the Lannisters, and I shall not stand on occasion and celebrate while they are still in danger.”

Lord Dean’s face curled into a smile “Well said Princess.”

And so, with her red hair spilling across her back, robed in her family colors, and the whole party as quiet as the grave, Sansa Stark rode her mare into the center of the camp.

King Renly and Queen Margery sat among their flowers, in their woven wicker chairs, circlets of gold flowers glinting in their curling hair, especially striking in Renly’s dark hair.

The sun and wind had dried her own red curls, and as she sat facing the king and queen, the sun caught in her hair and set it aflame. She felt almost as regal as them herself, sitting on her white mare, and her solemn party all around herself.

“Your Grace.” Dean dismounted and knelt before the king “I have returned with the princess, Sansa Stark as you asked me.”

“Rise Lord Dean, and thank-you for the service you have done your king.”

Dean rose, and a tall young man dismounted, and helped Sansa down from her horse. King Renly rose from his wicker chair and approached Sansa. He bent at the waist, kissing her hand lightly and elegantly “Princess Sansa, it is truly an honor to have you here among the flowers of my court. I assure you that all efforts will be made to return you to your family, and until then, you will have every comfort that our court has to offer.”

Sansa curtsied low “You honor me with your kind words, your Grace, and I thank you for your hospitality as well as the rescue from Kingslanding, where the Lady of Casterly Rock had me trapped.”

It was a good speech, she knew, short and too the point, while elegantly letting them all know that she had no loyalty to the Lannisters, and didn’t believe that Cersei should be queen regent.

“In an effort to help you see more of the beauty of our court, Princess Sansa, let me introduce you to my wife, Queen Margery, daughter of Mace Tyrell of Highgarden.” He took the beautiful woman by the hand and led her forward to Sansa.

The woman laughed with joy and took Sansa by both hands, kissing her cheeks “Oh Sansa dear, I have been awaiting your arrival most eagerly. We shall be the best of friends, I can tell.”

Sansa smiled, kissing Margery back “I thank you, Your Grace. Both I and the North shall long remember all of the kindnesses that you and your royal husband have done me.” And that left a little bit of a warning that pleased Sansa well. The North had as long a memory as any other kingdom in Westeros, longer than most. She would do well to remind the Reach of the fact.

Margery laughed again “Call me Margery, dear Sansa. If it please you, my cousins and I will hold a banquet this eve, in your honor, down by the riverside where we played as girls.”

The girl in Sansa flushed with joy and rapture, so happy and flattered to have such an honor, but the Sansa of today merely smiled at the queen and inclined her head to the king “You are too kind, Queen Margery. Might I beg the time to write a letter to my lady mother and my royal brother, before we begin the feast? For I have not had the opportunity to do so in much too long.”

“Of course. Lord Sam shall escort you to your tent, and one of my girls will run and fetch you paper.” Sansa smiled again

“Thank you, dear Margery.” and she pressed kisses into Margery’s cheeks again. No matter what the women really think of each other, if they pretended to be charmed and half in love with each other, it is all that the men see Sansa realized, and felt like laughing herself. Margery was teaching her things already.

Then the tall man who had helped her down from her horse offered her his arm and she took it, murmuring a quiet thank-you. He was taller than the Hound even, though shorter than his brother Gregor. He was slim and lanky, but still very young and probably would fill out more as he aged and trained. Walking next to him made her feel small and delicate, though she knew she was neither.

“Are you Sam Winchester?” she inquired when they were out of earshot of the crowd gathered around the king and queen.

“Aye” he nodded

“Jo talked of you.” Sansa said quietly “She said that you were good and honorable and wise.”

“I try to be, Princess.”

Sansa nodded “I didn’t know that Jo would sacrifice herself and stay in the city until it was too late to turn back. I would have stayed if I knew that she was putting herself in danger.”

Sam nodded as well “Jo is sharp, and if anyone could stay safe in that city, it’s her.”

“Thank-you for the reassurances, m’lord, but there are eyes everywhere in Kingslanding, and neither Cersei nor her son know any compassion. I shall not be reassured until I see Jo for myself”

Sam’s posture stiffened “Then she shall be in my prayers twice as often.” “And mine ser. To the new and the old gods.”

They reached a large green and gold tent near the king and queen’s beautiful pavilion, and Sam bowed, kissing her hand

“Your tent, my princess.” Sansa swept him a curtsey “Thank-you, Lord Sam. Farewell until our next meeting.”

* * *

“What impression did you get of the Stark girl Loras?” Renly questioned, watching his men at their training from his perch on the sawhorse.

“She will be a great beauty someday.” Loras shrugged “And she talks prettily.”

Renly smiled affectionately at his summer knight “And that is truly all you noticed?”

“What else am I supposed to notice?” Loras asked boredly “She’s just a little girl.”

“She’ll be a great player someday.” Renly insisted “I hope that I am safely on the Iron Throne before Sansa Stark comes into her own in the Game of Thrones. By asking to send a letter to her family in broad daylight, in the presence of all of the court, she made sure that we couldn’t refuse her. After all it would be the height of absurdity to rescue a princess and bring her into your courts with pomp and circumstance, then treat her as a prisoner again.”

“I suppose it would be rather absurd.” Loras nodded “Alright, that was clever, but I don’t see what else there was in that introduction ceremony.”

“Did you hear the way that she reassured everyone that she wasn’t a Lannister pawn, but neither would she be ours? And that quiet warning about the memory of the North?”

“She thanked Margery for your hospitality and said that she would remember it.” Loras laughed “You and my sister may read what you want into that, but I’ll be satisfied with making sure that no one stabs the little northling.”

Renly smiled lightly, shaking his head “I suppose that’s all that can be asked of you.”

Loras nodded “It is.” And Renly swung down from the sawhorse and started walking away from the practice yards, brushing his hand lightly against Loras’ as the two started walking.

* * *

She hadn’t known what to write when she had first sat down, only known that she must.

_Dear Mother and Robb,_

Had flowed from her pen easily enough, but nothing else seemed to come to her, until her eyes lighted upon the comb from her pack, and then she remembered Jo’s easy teasing manner and laughter. From there the sounds of home had come back to her, and her family no longer seemed strangers.

_Do not worry for me anymore. Or at least, do not worry for me as much. I am no longer in Kingslanding, as you might have guessed because I could send you a letter directly._

_I am with Lord Renly. Or King Renly as he calls himself now._

_My chambermaid in Kingslanding was the daughter of Lord Winchester’s steward, and she conspired with some of Renly’s bannermen to sneak me from the city. She had to stay behind in the city and I worry for her now, for she is dear to me._

_Robb, you should know that Renly respects you as King in the North while it suits him. He calls me Princess, and I need not fear calling you my royal brother, but I have heard it said that when there is peace, he will ask you to bend the knee._

_I’m sure that you both have already gathered that I will most likely be married off to the man most loyal to Renly. I think that Jo, my chambermaid, intended for me to marry the younger Winchester brother, for all that he is not from a great house, and will not be heir to Castle Lawerence after his brother has a son. She spoke of him often, and when she said farewell, she said that at our next meeting, I would be her lady twice._

_I_ _haven’t seen Arya since the red cloaks tore apart the tower of the Hand. I worry for her, but I think that she escaped the city all on her own, else I would have heard of her by now._

Sansa stopped and flexed her hand, reading over what she had so far. She had rambled far too much about somethings, but it would have to do. This letter had to be only herself if they were to believe it.

_Robb, please give my love to Jon, and tell him that he would make a far more dashing knight than any I have seen, so long as he remembers to smile from time to time._

That would make Robb laugh, and Jon would at least smile. It was genuinely from her to him, and that was all that mattered.

_Mother, when you see Bran and Rickon, please give them the world’s biggest hugs and kisses from me, and tell them that I will try to come home soon._

It would be cruel to give them false hope like that, if she was still in Kingslanding, but the world looked much more open already, from King Renly’s court.

_Of course I send my love to both of you as well and I pray for your safety to the old gods and the new._

_Sansa Stark, Princess of Winterfell._


End file.
